This invention relates to compounds and methods for inducing or promoting apotosis and for arresting uncontrolled neoplastic cell proliferation, methods that are specifically useful in the arresting and treatment of neoplasias, including precancerous and cancerous lesions.
Pharmaceuticals that are effective against early stage neoplasias comprise an emerging and expanding area of research and potential commercial development. Such pharmaceuticals can delay or arrest development of precancerous lesions into cancers. Each year in the United States alone, untold numbers of people develop precancerous lesions, which exhibit a strong statistically significant tendency to develop into malignant tumors, or cancer. Such lesions include lesions of the breast (that can develop into breast cancer), lesions of the skin (that can develop into malignant melanoma or basal cell carcinoma), colonic adenomatous polyps (that can develop into colon cancer), cervical dysplasia (cervical cancer) and other such neoplasms.
Compounds that prevent or induce the remission of existing precancerous or cancerous lesions, or carcinomas, delay the onset of cancer and would greatly reduce illness and death from at least certain forms of that disease.
Such compounds and methods are particularly beneficial to sub-populations of patients who repeatedly develop precancerous lesions, and therefore have a statistically higher probability of getting cancer. Many cancer types (e.g., breast, colon, prostate etc.) have such patient sub-populations. One example of a sub-population that will invariably develop cancer (if left untreated) includes those patients who suffer from familial polyposis of the colon. Familial polyposis patients typically develop many (e.g., hundreds or thousands) of colonic polyps beginning in their teenage years. Because each colonic polyp (whether familial or non-familial) reportedly has approximately a five percent lifetime risk of developing into a cancer, the treatment of choicexe2x80x94until very recentlyxe2x80x94for familial polyposis patients is surgical removal of the colon in the early twenties.
Many other cancers have sub-populations that also have much higher risks for getting cancer at an early age and for having the cancer reoccur, than patients as a whole who get such a cancer. For example, such sub-populations have been identified among breast cancer patients and colon cancer patients. In the latter sub-population, removal of the individual polyps as they form is the current treatment of choice. Removal of polyps in non-familial patients has been accomplished either with surgery or fiber-optic endoscopic polypectomyxe2x80x94procedures that are uncomfortable, costly (the cost of a single polypectomy ranges between $1,000 and $1,500 for endoscopic treatment and more for surgery), and involve a small but significant risk of colon perforation.
The search for drugs useful for treating and preventing neoplasias in their earliest stages is intensive because chemotherapy and surgery on cancer itself is often not effective, and current chemotherapy has severe side effects. Thus, the search for compounds effective against precancerous lesions without the side effects of conventional chemotherapy is particularly intensive. Such compounds are also envisaged for recovered cancer patients who retain a risk of cancer reoccurrence, and even for cancer patients who would benefit from compounds that selectively induce apoptosis in neoplastic, but substantially not in normal cells.
Standard cancer chemotherapeutic drugs are not considered appropriate drugs for cancer chemoprevention because whatever cancer preventative (as opposed to cancer-fighting) capabilities those drugs may possess do not outweigh their severe side effects. Most standard chemotherapeutics are now believed to kill cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (also sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cprogrammed cell deathxe2x80x9d). Apoptosis naturally occurs in virtually all tissues of the body. Apoptosis plays a critical role in tissue homeostasis, that is, it ensures that the number of new cells produced are correspondingly offset by an equal number of cells that die. Apoptosis is especially pronounced in self-renewing tissues such as bone marrow, immune cells, gut, and skin. For example, the cells in the intestinal lining divide so rapidly that the body must eliminate cells after only three days to protect and prevent the overgrowth of the intestinal lining.
Standard chemotherapeutics promote apoptosis not only in cancer cells, but also in normal human tissues, and therefore have a particularly severe effect on cells that normally divide rapidly in the body (e.g. hair, gut and skin). The results of those effects on normal cells include hair loss, weight loss, vomiting and bone marrow immune suppression. This is one reason standard chemotherapeutics are inappropriate for cancer prevention.
In the absence of a one-time cure (e.g., a gene therapy), another reason is that cancer prevention therapy requires chronic administration of a pharmaceutical to repress neoplasia formation, which for standard chemotherapeutics is obviously contraindicated because of the types of side effects discussed above.
Abnormalities in apoptosis can lead to the formation of precancerous lesions and carcinomas. Also, recent research indicates that defects in apoptosis play a major role in other diseases in addition to cancer. Consequently, compounds that modulate apoptosis could be used in the prevention or control of cancer, as well as other diseases.
Several non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (xe2x80x9cNSAIDsxe2x80x9d), originally developed to treat arthritis, have shown effectiveness in inhibiting and eliminating colonic polyps. Polyps virtually disappear when the patients take the drug, particularly when the NSAID sulindac is administered. However, the continued prophylactic use of currently available NSAIDs, even in polyposis syndrome patients, is still marked by severe side reactions that include gastrointestinal irritations, perforations, ulcerations and kidney toxicity believed to be produced by inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase activity (xe2x80x9cPGE-2xe2x80x9d). Such inhibition is a requirement for the NSAIDs anti-inflammatory action since elevated levels of PGE-2 are associated with inflammation. PGE-2 plays a protective function in the gastrointestinal tract, which is the reason such gastric side effects arise with chronic NSAID therapy, which is rarely indicated for arthritis sufferers, acute therapy being the norm for them. However, chronic administration of sulindac is important for polyposis patients to eliminate and prevent future polyps which causes gastric side effects in many such patients. Once NSAID treatment is terminated due to such complications, the polyps return, particularly in polyposis syndrome patients.
Compounds such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,959 have exhibited advantages in the treatment of neoplastic lesions since such compounds have been shown to induce apotosis in neoplastic cells but not in normal cells in humans. Thus, the severe side effects due to induction of apotosis in normal cells by conventional chemotherapeutics are avoided by these novel therapeutics (see, xe2x80x9cPhase I Trial of Sulindac Sulfone in Patients With Familial Polyposis (FAP) With Rectal Polyps: Optimal Dose and Safety,xe2x80x9d Digestive Disease Week, Abstract No. 2457, May 10-16, 1997, American Gastroenterological Association et al.). In addition, such compounds do not exhibit the gastric side effects associated with NSAIDs since such compounds do not substantially inhibit PGE-2. More potent compounds with such neoplasia specificity but without substantial PGE-2 activity are desirable.
This invention represents potent compounds, that induce apotosis in neoplastic cells (but not substantially in normal cells), for treating patients with neoplastic lesions without substantially inhibiting PGE-2. This invention also involves methods for inducing such specific apotosis in neoplastic cells by exposing such cells to a pharmacologically effective amount of those compounds described below to a patient in need of such treatment. Such compositions are effective in modulating apoptosis and modulating the growth of precancerous lesions and neoplasms, but are not suffering from the side effects of conventional chemotherapeutics and NSAIDs.
As discussed above, the present invention includes compounds of Formula I below (as well as their pharmaceutically acceptable salts) for treating a patient with neoplastic, particularly precancerous, lesions: 
wherein R1 is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, amino, lower alkylamino, di-lower alkylamino, lower alkylmercapto, lower alkyl sulfonyl, cyano, carboxamide, carboxylic acid, mercapto, sulfonic acid, xanthate and hydroxy; R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl;
R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, amino, hydroxy, lower alkyl amino, and di-loweralkylamino;
R4is hydrogen, or R3 and R4 together are oxygen;
R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, hydroxy-substituted lower alkyl, amino lower alkyl, lower alkylamino-lower alkyl, lower alkyl amino di-lower alkyl, lower alkyl nitrile, xe2x80x94CO2H, xe2x80x94C(O)NH2, and a C2 to C6 amino acid;
R7 is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of hydrogen, amino lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkyl, hydroxy, amino, lower alkyl amino, di-lower alkyl amino, halogen, xe2x80x94CO2H, xe2x80x94SO3H, xe2x80x94SO2NH2, and xe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl);
m and n are integers from 0 to 3 independently selected from one another;
Y is selected from the group consisting of quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, imidazolyl, indolyl, benzimidazolyl, triazinyl, tetrazolyl, thiophenyl, furanyl, thiazolyl, pyrazolyl, or pyrrolyl, or subsituted variants thereof wherein the substituents are one or two selected from the group consisting of halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, amino, lower alkylamino, di-lower alkylamino, hydroxy, xe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl) and xe2x80x94SO2NH2.
Preferred compounds of this invention for use with the methods described herein include those of Formula I where:
R1 is selected from the group consisting of halogen, lower alkoxy, amino, hydroxy, lower alkylamino and di-loweralkylamino, preferably halogen, lower alkoxy, amino and hydroxy;
R2 is lower alkyl;
R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, amino, lower alkylamino and di-loweralkylamino, preferably, hydrogen, hydroxy and lower alkylamino;
R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy-substituted lower alkyl, amino lower alkyl, lower alkylamino-lower alkyl, lower alkyl amino di-lower alkyl, xe2x80x94CO2H, xe2x80x94C(O)NH2; preferably hydrogen, hydroxy-substituted lower alkyl, lower alkyl amino di-lower alkyl, xe2x80x94CO2H, and xe2x80x94C(O)NH2;
R7 is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, amino, lower alkyl amino, di-lower alkyl amino, halogen, xe2x80x94CO2H, xe2x80x94SO3H, xe2x80x94SO2NH2, and xe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl); preferably hydrogen, lower alkoxy, hydroxy, amino, amino lower alkyl, halogen, xe2x80x94CO2H, xe2x80x94SO3H, xe2x80x94SO2NH2, and xe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl);
Preferably, at least one of the R7 substituents is para- or ortho-located; most preferably ortho-located;
Y is selected from the group consisting of quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, pyridinyl, pyrimidinyl and pyrazinyl or said substituted variants thereof.
Preferably, the substituents on Y are one or two selected from the group consisting of lower alkoxy, amino, lower alkylamino, di-lower alkylamino, hydroxy, xe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl) and xe2x80x94SO2NH2; most preferably lower alkoxy, di-lower alkylamino, hydroxy, xe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl) and xe2x80x94SO2NH2.
The present invention also is a method of treating a patient with such lesions by administering to a patient a pharmacologically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition that includes a compound of Formula I, wherein R1 through R7 and Y are as defined above. Preferably, this composition is administered without therapeutic amounts of an NSAID.
The present invention is also a method of treating individuals with neoplastic lesions by administering a pharmacologically effective amount of an enterically coated pharmaceutical composition that includes compounds of this invention.
Also, the present invention is a method of inhibiting the growth of neoplastic cells by exposing the cells to an effective amount of compounds of Formula I, wherein R1 through R7 and Y are defined as above.
In still another form, the invention is a method of inducing apoptosis in human cells by exposing those cells to an effective amount of compounds of Formula I, wherein R1 through R7 and Y are defined as above where such cells are sensitive to these compounds.
Additionally, in yet another form, the invention is a method of treating a patient having a disease which would benefit from regulation of apoptosis by treating the patient with an effective amount of compounds of Formula I, wherein R1 through R8 are defined as above. The regulation of apoptosis is believed to play an important role in diseases associated with abnormalities of cellular growth patterns such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson""s disease, autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, infectious diseases such as AIDS, and other diseases, as well.
Compounds of this invention are also inhibitors of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity found in neoplastic cells. Such phosphodiesterases include PDE5 as well as the novel PDE disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/173,375 filed Oct. 15, 1998 to Pamukcu et al. For convenience, the PDE inhibitory activity of such compounds can be tested as taught in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/046,739 filed Mar. 24, 1998 to Pamukcu et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Thus, compounds of this invention are useful inhibitors of PDE5 and may be useful in medical indications where inhibition of that enzyme activity is desired.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cprecancerous lesionxe2x80x9d includes syndromes represented by abnormal neoplastic, including dysplastic, changes of tissue. Examples include dysplasic growths in colonic, breast, bladder or lung tissues, or conditions such as dysplastic nevus syndrome, a precursor to malignant melanoma of the skin. Examples also include, in addition to dysplastic nevus syndromes, polyposis syndromes, colonic polyps, precancerous lesions of the cervix (i.e., cervical dysplasia), esophagus, prostatic dysplasia, bronchial dysplasia, breast, bladder and/or skin and related conditions (e.g., actinic keratosis), whether the lesions are clinically identifiable or not.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccarcinomasxe2x80x9d refers to lesions that are cancerous. Examples include malignant melanomas, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cneoplasmxe2x80x9d refers to both precancerous and cancerous lesions and hyperplasia.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9chaloxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chalogenxe2x80x9d refers to chloro, bromo, fluoro and iodo groups, and the term xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d refers to straight, branched or cyclic alkyl groups and to substituted aryl alkyl groups. The term xe2x80x9clower alkylxe2x80x9d refers to C1 to C8 alkyl groups.
The term xe2x80x9chydroxy-substituted lower alkylxe2x80x9d refers to lower alkyl groups that are substituted with at least one hydroxy group, preferably no more than three hydroxy groups.
The term xe2x80x9cxe2x80x94SO2(lower alkyl)xe2x80x9d refers to a sulfonyl group that is substituted with a lower alkyl group.
The term xe2x80x9clower alkoxyxe2x80x9d refers to alkoxy groups having from 1 to 8 carbons, including straight, branched or cyclic arrangements.
The term xe2x80x9clower alkylmercaptoxe2x80x9d refers to a sulfide group that is substituted with a lower alkyl group; and the term xe2x80x9clower alkyl sulfonylxe2x80x9d refers to a sulfone group that is substituted with a lower alkyl group.
The term xe2x80x9cpharmaceutically acceptable saltxe2x80x9d refers to non-toxic acid addition salts and alkaline earth metal salts of the compounds of Formula I. The salts can be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of such compounds, or separately by reacting the free base or acid functions with a suitable organic acid or base, for example. Representative acid addition salts include the hydrochloride, hydrobromide, sulfate, bisulfate, acetate, valerate, oleate, palmatate, stearate, laurate, borate, benzoate, lactate, phosphate, tosylate, mesylate, citrate, maleate, fumarate, succinate, tartrate, glucoheptonate, lactobionate, lauryl sulfate salts and the like. Representative alkali and alkaline earth metal salts include the sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium salts.
It will be appreciated that certain compounds of Formula I can possess an asymmetric carbon atom and are thus capable of existing as enantiomers. Unless otherwise specified, this invention includes such enantiomers, including any racemates. The separate enaniomers may be synthesized from chiral starting materials, or the racemates can be resolved by conventional procedures that are well known in the art of chemistry such as chiral chromatography, fractional cyrstallization of diastereomeric salts and the like.
Compounds of Formula I also can exist as geometrical isomers (Z and E); the Z isomer is preferred.
Compounds of this invention may be formulated into pharmaceutical compositions together with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for oral administration in solid or liquid form, or for rectal or topical administration, although carriers for oral administration are most preferred.
Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for oral administration include capsules, tablets, pills, powders, troches and granules. In such solid dosage forms, the carrier can comprise at least one inert diluent such as sucrose, lactose or starch. Such carriers can also comprise, as is normal practice, additional substances other than diluents, e.g., lubricating agents such as magnesium stearate. In the case of capsules, tablets, troches and pills, the carriers may also comprise buffering agents. Carriers such as tablets, pills and granules can be prepared with enteric coatings on the surfaces of the tablets, pills or granules. Alternatively, the enterically coated compound can be pressed into a tablet, pill, or granule, and the tablet, pill or granules for administration to the patient. Preferred enteric coatings include those that dissolve or disintegrate at colonic pH such as shellac or Eudraget S.
Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include liquid dosage forms for oral administration, e.g., pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions, solutions, suspensions, syrups and elixirs containing inert diluents commonly used in the art, such as water. Besides such inert diluents, compositions can also include adjuvants such as wetting agents, emulsifying and suspending agents, and sweetening, flavoring and perfuming agents.
Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for topical administration include DMSO, alcohol or propylene glycol and the like that can be employed with patches or other liquid-retaining material to hold the medicament in place on the skin so that the medicament will not dry out.
Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for rectal administration are preferably suppositories that may contain, in addition to the compounds of this invention excipients such as cocoa butter or a suppository wax, or gel.
The pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and compounds of this invention are formulated into unit dosage forms for administration to a patient. The dosage levels of active ingredient (i.e., compounds of this invention) in the unit dosage may be varied so as to obtain an amount of active ingredient effective to achieve lesion-eliminating activity in accordance with the desired method of administration (i.e., oral or rectal). The selected dosage level therefore depends upon the nature of the active compound administered, the route of administration, the desired duration of treatment, and other factors. If desired, the unit dosage may be such that the daily requirement for active compound is in one dose, or divided among multiple doses for administration, e.g., two to four times per day.
The pharmaceutical compositions of this invention are preferably packaged in a container (e.g., a box or bottle, or both) with suitable printed material (e.g., a package insert) containing indications, directions for use, etc.
There are several general schemes for producing compounds useful in this invention. One general scheme (which has several sub-variations) involves the case where both R3 and R4 are both hydrogen. This first scheme is described immediately below in Scheme I. The other general scheme (which also has several sub-variations) involves the case where at least one of R3 and R4 is a moiety other than hydrogen but within the scope of Formula I above. This second scheme is described below as xe2x80x9cScheme II.xe2x80x9d
The general scheme for preparing compounds where both R3 and R4 are both hydrogen is illustrated in Scheme I, which is described in part in U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,730, which is incorporated herein by reference. In Scheme I, R1 is as defined in Formula I above. However, in Scheme I, that substituent can also be a reactive moiety (e.g. a nitro group) that later can be reacted to make a large number of other substituted indenes from the nitro-substituted indenes. 
In Scheme I, several sub-variations can be used. In one sub-variation, a substituted benzaldehyde (a) may be condensed with a substituted acetic ester in a Knoevenagel reaction (see reaction 2) or with an xcex1-halogeno propionic ester in a Reformatsky Reaction (see reactions 1 and 3). The resulting unsaturated ester (c) is hydrogenated and hydrolyzed to give a substituted benzyl propionic acid (e) (see reactions 4 and 5). Alternatively, a substituted malonic ester in a typical malonic ester synthesis (see reactions 6 and 7) and hydrolysis decarboxylation of the resulting substituted ester (g) yields the benzyl propionic acid (e) directly. This latter method is especially preferable for nitro and alkylthio substituents on the benzene ring.
The next step is the ring closure of the xcex2-aryl proponic acid (e) to form an indanone (h) which may be carried out by a Friedel-Crafts Reaction using a Lewis acid catalyst (Cf. Organic Reactions, Vol. 2, p. 130) or by heating with polyphosphoric acid (see reactions 8 and 9, respectively). The indanone (h) may be condensed with an xcex1-halo ester in the Reformatsky Reaction to introduce the aliphatic acid side chain by replacing the carboxyl group (see reaction 10). Alternately, this introduction can be carried out by the use of a Wittig Reaction in which the reagent is a xcex1-triphenylphosphinyl ester, a reagent which replaces the carbonyl with a double bond to the carbon (see reaction 12). This product (1) is then immediately rearranged into the indene (j)(see reaction 13). If the Reformatsky Reaction route is used, the intermediate 3-hydroxy-3-aliphatic acid derivative i must be dehydrated to the indene (j) (see reaction 11).
The indenylacetic acid (k) in THF then is allowed to react with oxalyl or thionyl chloride or similar reagent to produce the acid chloride (m) (see reaction 15), whereupon the solvent is evaporated. There are two methods to carry out reaction 16, which is the addition of the benzylamine side chain (n).
Method (I)
In the first method, the benzylamine (n) is added slowly at room temperature to a solution of 5-fluoro-2-methyl-3-indenylacetyl chloride in CH2Cl2. The reaction mixture is refluxed overnight, and extracted with aqueous HCl (10%), water, and aqueous NaHCO3 (5%). The organic phase is dried (Na2SO4) and is evaporated to give the amide compound (o)
Method (II)
In the second method, the indenylacetic acid (k) in DMA is allowed to react with a carbodiimide (e.g. N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-Nxe2x80x2-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride) and benzylamine at room temperature for two days. The reaction mixture is added dropwise to stirred ice water. A yellow precipitate is filtered off, is washed with water, and is dried in vacuo. Recrystallization gives the amide compound (o).
Compounds of the type axe2x80x2 (Scheme III), o (Scheme I), t (Scheme II), y (Scheme IIB) may all be used in the condensation reaction shown in Scheme III.
Substituents
X=halogen, usually Cl or Br.
E=methyl, ethyl or benzyl, or lower acyl.
R1, R2, R6, R5, and R7=as defined in Formula I.
Y, n and m=as defined in Formula I.
Reagents and general conditions for Scheme I (numbers refer to the numbered reactions):
(1) Zn dust in anhydrous inert solvent such as benzene and ether.
(2) KHSO4 or p-toluene sulfonic acid.
(3) NaOC2H5 in anhydrous ethanol at room temperature.
(4) H2 palladium on charcoal, 40 p.s.i. room temperature.
(5) NaOH in aqueous alcohol at 20-100xc2x0.
(6) NaOC2H5 or any other strong base such as NaH or K-t-butoxide.
(7) Acid.
(8) Friedel-Crafts Reaction using a Lewis Acid catalyst Cf. Organic Reactions, Vol. II, p. 130.
(9) Heat with polyphosphoric acid.
(10) Reformatsky Reaction: Zn in inert solvent, heat.
(11) p-Toluene sulfonic acid and CaCl2 or I2 at 200xc2x0
(12) Wittig Reaction using (C6H5)3 P=Cxe2x80x94COOE 20-80xc2x0 in ether or benzene
(13) (a) NBS/CCl4/benzoyl peroxide (b) PtO2/H2 (1 atm.)/acetic acid
(14) (a) NaOH (b) HCl
(15) Oxalyl or thionyl chloride in CH2Cl2 or THF
(16) Method I: 2 equivalents of NH2xe2x80x94C(R5R6)xe2x80x94Phxe2x80x94(R7)m Method II: carbodiimide in THF
(17) 1N NaOCH3 in MeOH under reflux conditions
Indanones within the scope of compound (h) in Scheme I are known in the literature and are thus readily available as intermediates for the remainder of the synthesis so that reactions 1-7 can be conveniently avoided. Among such known indanones are:
5-methoxyindanone
6-methoxyindanone
5-methylindanone
5-methyl-6-methoxyindanone
5-methyl-7-chloroindanone
4-methoxy-7-chloroindanone
4-isopropyl-2,7-dimethylindanone
5,6,7-trichloroindanone
2-n-butylindanone
5-methylthioindanone
Scheme II has two mutually exclusive sub-schemes: Scheme IIA and Scheme IIB. Scheme IIA is used when R3 is hydroxy and R4 is hydrogen or when the two substituents form an oxo group. When R3 is lower alkyl amino, Scheme IIB is employed. 
Similar to Scheme 1, in Scheme IIA the indenylacetic acid (k) in THF is allowed to react with oxalylchloride under reflux conditions to produce the acid chloride (p) (see reaction 18), whereupon the solvent is evaporated. In reaction 19, a 0xc2x0 C. mixture of a benzyl hydroxylamine hydrochloride (q) and Et3N is treated with a cold solution of the acid chloride in CH2Cl2 over a period of 45-60 minutes. The mixture is warmed to room temperature and stirred for one hour, and is treated with water. The resulting organic layer is washed with 1 N HCl and brine, is dried over magnesium sulfate and is evaporated. The crude product, a N-hydroxy-N-benzyl acetamide (r) is purified by crystallization or flash chromatography. This general procedure is taught by Hoffmnan et al., JOC 1992, 57, 5700-5707.
The next step is the preparation of the N-mesyloxy amide (s) in reaction 20, which is also taught by Hoffman et al., JOC 1992, 57, 5700-5707. Specifically, to a solution of the hydroxamic acid (r) in CH2Cl2 at 0xc2x0 C. is added triethylamine. The mixture is stirred for 10-12 minutes, and methanesulfonyl chloride is added dropwise. The mixture is stirred at 0xc2x0 C. for two hours, is allowed to warm to room temperature, and is stirred for another two hours. The organic layer is washed with water, 1 N HCl, and brine, and is dried over magnesium sulfate. After rotary evaporation, the product(s) is usually purified by crystallization or flash chromatography.
The preparation of the N-benzyl-xcex1-(hydroxy) amide (t) in reaction 21, is also taught by Hoffman et al., JOC 1992, 57, 5700-5707 and Hoffman et al., JOC 1995, 60, 4121-4125. Specifically, to a solution of the N-(mesyloxy) amide (s) in CH3CN/H2O is added triethylamine in CH3CN over a period of 6-12 hours. The mixture is stirred overnight. The solvent is removed, and the residue is dissolved in ethyl acetate. The solution is washed with water, 1 N HCl, and brine, and is dried over magnesium sulfate. After rotary evaporation, the product (t) is usually purified by recrystallization.
Reaction 22 in Scheme IIA involves a condensation with certain aldehydes, which is described in Scheme III below, a scheme that is common to products made in accordance with Schemes I, IIA and IIB.
The final reaction 23 in Scheme IIA is the preparation of the N-benzyl-xcex1-ketoamide (v), which involves the oxidation of a secondary alcohol (u) to a ketone by e.g. a Pfitzner-Moffatt oxidation, which selectively oxidizes the alcohol without oxidizing the Y group. Compounds (u) and (v) may be derivatized in order to obtain compounds with R3 and R4 groups as set forth in Formula I. 
As explained above, Scheme IIB is employed when R3 is lower alkyl amino. Similar to Scheme I, in Scheme IIB the indenylacetic acid (k) in THF is allowed to react with oxalylchloride under reflux conditions to produce the acid chloride (p) (see reaction 18), whereupon the solvent is evaporated. In reaction 24, a mixture of an alkyl hydroxylamine hydrochloride (i.e. HO-NHR where R is a lower alkyl, preferably isopropyl) and Et3N is treated at 0xc2x0 C. with a cold solution of the acid chloride in CH2Cl2 over a period of 45-60 minutes. The mixture is warmed to room temperature and is stirred for one hour, and is diluted with water. The resulting organic layer is washed with 1 N HCl and brine, is dried over magnesium sulfate and is evaporated. The crude product, a N-hydroxy-N-alkyl acetamide (w) is purified by crystallization or flash chromatography. This general procedure is also taught by Hoffinan et al., JOC 1992, 57, 5700-5707
The preparation of the N-mesyloxy amide (x) in reaction 25, which is also taught by Hoffman et al., JOC 1992, 57, 5700-5707. Specifically, a solution of the hydroxamic acid (w) in CH2Cl2 at 0xc2x0 C. is treated with triethylamine, is stirred for 10-12 minutes, and is treated dropwise with methanesulfonyl chloride. The mixture is stirred at 0xc2x0 C. for two hours, is allowed to warm to room temperature, and is stirred for another two hours. The resulting organic layer is washed with water, 1 N HCl, and brine, and is dried over magnesium sulfate. After rotary evaporation, the product (x) is usually purified by crystallization or flash chromatography.
The preparation of the N-benzyl indenyl-xcex1-loweralkylamino- acetamide compound (y) in Scheme IIB as taught by Hoffman et al., JOC 1995, 60, 4121-25 and J. Am. Chem Soc. 1993, 115, 5031-34, involves the reaction of the N-mesyloxy amide (x), with a benzylamine in CH2Cl2 at 0xc2x0 C. is added over a period of 30 minutes. The resulting solution is stirred at 0xc2x0 C. for one hour and at room temperature overnight. The solvent is removed, and the residue is treated with 1 N NaOH. The extract with CH2Cl2 is washed with water and is dried over magnesium sulfate. After rotary evaporation, the product (y) is purified by flash chromatography or crystallization. 
Scheme III involves the condensation of the heterocycloaldehydes (i.e. Y-CHO) with the indenyl amides to produce the final compounds of Formula I. This condensation is employed, for example, in reaction 17 in Scheme I above and in reaction 22 in Scheme IIA. It is also used to convert compound (y) in Scheme IIB to final compounds of Formula I.
In Scheme III, the amide (axe2x80x2) from the above schemes, a N-heterocycloaldehyde (z), and sodium methoxide (1 M in methanol) are stirred at 60xc2x0 C. under nitrogen for 24 hours. After cooling, the reaction mixture is poured into ice water. A solid is filtered off, is washed with water, and is dried in vacuo. Recrystallization provides a compound of Formula I in Schemes I and IIB and the intermediate (u) in Scheme IIA.
As has been pointed out above, it is preferable in the preparation of many types of the compounds of this invention, to use a nitro substituent on the benzene ring of the indanone nucleus and convert it later to a desired substituent since by this route a great many substituents can be reached. This is done by reduction of the nitro to the amino group followed by use of the Sandmeyer Reaction to introduce chlorine, bromine, cyano or xanthate in place of the amino. From the cyano derivatives hydrolysis yields the carboxamide and carboxylic acid; other derivatives of the carboxy group such as the esters can then be prepared. The xanthates, by hydrolysis, yield the mercapto group that may be oxidized readily to the sulfonic acid or alkylated to an alkylthio group which can then be oxidized to alkylsulfonyl groups. These reactions may be carried out either before or after the introduction of the 1-substituent.
The foregoing may be better understood from the following examples that are presented for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. As used in the following examples, the references to substituents such as R1, R2, etc., refer to the corresponding compounds and substituents in Formula I above.